Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback Sam Bradford found out his offensive coordinator, Norv Turner, had resigned from his position after his wife called him to break the news.
Sam Bradford tells reporters he found out about Norv's resignation after Bradford's wife got an alert on her phone and called him.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 2, 2016
Despite the Vikings sitting atop the NFC North with a 5-2 record, Turner quit due to “personal reasons” according to head coach Mike Zimmer. Apparently, the Vikings didn’t feel the need to tell Bradford before the news broke.
Turner released a statement saying it was in the team’s best interest he step down from the position.
“I have tremendous respect for (head coach) Mike Zimmer, our coaching staff, and our players and at this time I think it is in the best interest of the team to step down. I thank the Wilf family for my time here in Minnesota and want to see our players and coaches achieve success.”
The 64-year-old had been with the club since 2014.
Turner’s Vikings offense has produced anemic results in wake of Teddy Bridgewater’s season-ending injury. Minnesota currently sits 31st in total yards per game (293.3) and 23rd in points per game (19.9). Not helping Turner was an awful offensive line and Bridgewater’s absence.
Where do the Vikings turn from here? Former Cleveland Browns head coach and former Vikings tight end coach Pat Shurmur will become the offensive coordinator and handle play-calling duties for the club, per NFL.com.
It’s rare to see an offensive coordinator quit a first-place team midseason, but the Vikings might benefit from a change. They’ve lost two in a row after a 5-0 start, and far too many questions remain about the club’s offense going forward.
[NFL.com]
